1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a vehicle-side connector to be connected to a charging connector during or for charging.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2010-166756 discloses a vehicle-side connector to be mounted on a vehicle body of a hybrid vehicle or an electric vehicle. The vehicle-side connector includes a connecting portion made of synthetic resin and to be connected to a charging connector. A mounting piece made of synthetic resin projects integrally from the outer surface of the connecting portion and collars made of metal are press-fit to this mounting piece. The vehicle-side connector is mounted and fixed to the vehicle body by inserting fixing bolts into the collars and tightening them into the vehicle body.
A seal, such as a surface seal, is mounted between the mounting piece and the vehicle to prevent the water from entering the vehicle interior through a clearance between the mounting piece and the vehicle. However, sinks are formed on the surface of a thick mounting piece when the mounting piece is molded. The sinks reduce adhesion of the seal to the mounting piece. Thus, the mounting piece generally is set to be thin. However, a thin mounting piece is weaker and may be deformed resiliently. Thus, clearances may be formed in close-contact parts of the mounting piece and the collars. Accordingly, the mounting piece may be detached from the collars and from the vehicle, if the charging connector connected to the connecting portion is pulled strongly in a direction different from a proper pulling direction and a force acts on the connecting portion in the direction crossing the proper pulling direction. Studies have considered increasing a locking force between the collars and the mounting piece by providing flanges on end portions of the collars and engaging the flanges and the mounting piece in a connecting direction.
A pulling force may cause stress to act on a boundary between the connecting portion and the mounting piece even though a locking force between the collars and the mounting piece is increased. As a result, the boundary part between the mounting piece and the connecting portion may be cracked or split even though the mounting piece is not likely to detach from the collars.
The invention was completed in view of the above situation and an object thereof is to suppress the detachment of a mounting piece from a vehicle and to improve durability of the connector.